The Nation Newspaper

Author: The Nation

  • Why Lagos must return Sanwo-Olu and avoid being in opposition at this time

    Why Lagos must return Sanwo-Olu and avoid being in opposition at this time

    By Tunji Light Ariyomo

    Does it make sense to have a Lagosian as President and then have Lagos in the opposition? Let’s look at the facts of our history.

    In 1983, the Lagos Light Rail project was cancelled because the ruling federal military government was in opposition to the development agenda of the previous UPN government in Lagos State.

    In 2000, the Lagos independent power project was frustrated because the PDP ruling party in Abuja was in opposition to the development agenda of the AD-led administration in Lagos.

    From 2004, Lagos’ allocations were seized for years because the PDP-led federal government in Abuja was in opposition to the development agendas of the AD-led Lagos State Government.

    However, from 29th of May 2023, for the first time in history, Nigeria will be having a Lagosian as President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces. It is of strategic importance to let Lagos that served as the fulcrum of opposition-led efforts to install a progressive coalition government in Abuja in 2015 to also be a beneficiary of that labour.

    There are many unprecedented developmental initiatives and core paradigm shifts in governance that a number of development-aware citizens would love to witness and experience in Lagos State. The very nature of our current conflicted federation does not however naturally promote government-to-government cooperation. Often, opposing political establishments would substitute fierce negative and destructive competition for collaboration.

    Yet, we the citizens want to see a federal-state jointly-sponsored 4th, 5th and 6th mainland bridges with several in-city train and tram services in Lagos in the next 4 years. We will like to see most roads in Lagos and street furnishings including walkways and leisure parks redesigned, upgraded or rebuilt to international standard.

    We want to see a spatial redesign of the entire Lagos State to give comfort to inhabitants and become the best mega city in Africa and a global tourism destination of choice.

    We want to see Lagos excluded from the national grid, ring-fenced as a mega electricity cluster and powered by arrays of private-sector-led independent power projects that are completely outside the menace and wilful limitations that current national centralisation of power administration has imposed upon Nigeria.

    Lagos population is in excess of 22 million. This is higher than the population of many countries. To be a first-world state, Lagos requires a minimum of 20 world class tertiary health facilities (teaching hospitals) properly distributed across the state and catering to healthcare needs at a ratio of 1:1,100,000 inhabitants with at least a thousand primary and secondary healthcare facilities or hybrids therefrom with a target physician density of 50:10,000 or lower. If Lagos sees this ambition as being too loud in view of the abysmal gap of Nigeria’s national healthcare programme, the Lagos State government can aim at just half of the above suggestion for a start as a revolutionary intervention in healthcare over the next 4 years leveraging the avowed eagerness of the private sector to invest in healthcare.

    The list of the great things we want to see in Lagos State are limitless. But the structure of our federation has guaranteed that those things can only materialize if the federal government concurs with Lagos State. Most international development partners and long-term low-interest financial institutions would not fund development projects in third world countries without sovereign guarantees by the national government.

    Gentlemen and ladies, I am a stakeholder in Lagos. Like thousands of others, I pay more property taxes to Lagos State than I pay to any other state in Nigeria. The prospect of a redeveloped, rebranded and re-planned Lagos where the health sector, education sector, security architecture, and social amenities are at par with 21st century expectations and serve as inspirations to the black race excites me. We must therefore take advantage and fully exploit the inherent benefits offered by the tenancy of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu in Aso Rock in the next 4 years. We must leave no stone unturned to re-elect Babajide Sanwo-Olu. He is my candidate as
    Governor of Lagos State on Saturday. Vote for him.

    May God bless those who shun divisive politics and envy-inspired hatred to harken to this call.

    Tunji Ariyomo is an infrastructure expert and a chartered project manager.

  • Election cash tears Imo PDP apart

    Election cash tears Imo PDP apart

    The crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Imo State has deepened, following an alleged mismanagement of N1.4 billion election funds released for disbursement during the Presidential and National Assembly elections. 

    The money was said to have been released by the National Presidential Election Management Committee to the PCC Chairman in Imo State. 

    Sources close to the party told The Nation yesterday that the released funds were not disbursed as directed, in line with the template approved and sent to the PCC leaders in the state. 

    The funds have deepened the crisis in the party, as its chieftains are on each other’s throat threatening to drag the PCC committee to court. 

    The source attributed the failure of PDP in the state during the elections to the embezzled funds, which the source said starved PDP members and supporters funds to enable them deliver the party candidates. 

    Reacting, National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Samuel Anyanwu, accused a former governor of starving the party of the funds released by the National Presidential Election Management Committee to him as the PCC chairman. 

    Anyanwu said the primary objectives of” “those he described as” saboteurs” during the just concluded Presidential and National Assembly elections were to starve the party and its members of funds earlier approved and released as election intervention funds.

    He regretted that all entreaties, appeals and convictions to release the funds approved to appropriate authorities, in line with the national template, “to enable them deliver candidates of our party, was flagrantly ignored, noting that “the reason these saboteurs carried out the broad daylight onslaught against the party was to frustrate PDP by ensuring that its candidates lose the election.”

  • Tinubu’s win, Obasanjo’s fret

    Tinubu’s win, Obasanjo’s fret

    When ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo endorsed LP’s Peter Obi in his January letter (see ‘Obi and Obasanjo’s kiss of death’: Ripples, 17 January 2023), he saw a looming personal dread: Asiwaju Bola Tinubu succeeding President Muhammadu Buhari. 

    He knew such would burst his public service bubble, exposing stark private capture.  That, by the way, doubles as dark metaphor for the PDP years.

    In his Obi “kiss”, the retired Army General tried to suck in the youth, blissfully ignorant of their history, even as recent as 1999.  Playing emergency godfather to emergency youth champion is sweet, foxy game, worth a rib-clutching hyena laugh!

    Pray, how can history-challenged youths checkmate an old fox, trying to game them, for personal fears?  

    Well, not a few youths — from the election results — were suckered into thinking they were fighting own fights.  Yet, that hasn’t stopped Obasanjo living his worst nightmare!

    Obasanjo loves to crow he is the sweetest thing that ever happened to Nigeria.  That drives his graceless and condescending attitude toward his successors.

    Yet, there are little or no monuments of his love — in Nigerian streets: in terms of collective infrastructural assets — beyond the personal trophies and tinsel warehoused in the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL) — first in Africa!

    PMB is the first ruthless burst of this empty bubble: not with malice to anyone, but by simply re-defining public service sans private gaming.

    The past eight years, of strides in agriculture, infrastructure and food security, have exposed the policy nudity of the Obasanjo years, with their vacuous “reforms”.

    But that’s even on the verifiable and the tangible: roads, bridges, rail, airports, sea ports, etc — generally posting much more from far much less, a stark contrast to the Obasanjo and PDP years of criminally much less from much more revenue.

    On the not-so-tangible front of democracy, sane polls and allied matters, the Owu, Abeokuta chief has even found his presidency — and person — much worsted.  

    For every court fawner bearing Obasanjo’s third-term push, PMB — as demonized as he has been — has reiterated his irrevocable commitment to his term limit. 

    For Obasanjo’s ”do-or-die election” roar, the regnant retort from PMB is free and fair polls, backed by matching IT, though the sore losers of February 25 try to bad-mouth that glowing threshold.

    Yet, contrasted to the former president, PMB is so taciturn he seldom — if ever — sings his own praise, often keeping mum even when some rascals hang brazen lies on his neck.

    Long story cut short: a taciturn Buhari has been far more productive — and impactful — for Nigeria than a loud Obasanjo, despite PMB’s end-of-tenure Naira re-design monumental blunder.  Obasanjo knows this — and it drives him ga-ga!

    Tinubu, on the other hand, is double nemesis — as president-elect; and as Lagos governor when Obasanjo was president (1999-2007).

    As governor, Tinubu trumped and thrashed Obasanjo on innovative policies, states’ rights in a federal set-up and adherence to rule of law.

    Under Tinubu Lagos renewed while Nigeria decayed, though there were no shortage of Obasanjo “reforms”.  Tinubu’s glittering records in Lagos fetched him the presidency. Obasanjo’s awful Abuja records earned Atiku Abubakar rich defeat.

    More than anyone, Obasanjo knows that should a President Tinubu live up to his billing, and take the hard-earned PMB-era achievements to dizzying new heights, not even the OOPL could launder the emptiness of the Obasanjo/PDP years.

    Which is why perhaps the old man hit the panic button, when it was clear Tinubu had nicked it, and was earnestly urging PMB to cancel results!

    But why would PMB play IBB, who after conducting the epochal June 12, 1993 election, self-ruined by cancelling it all?  Perhaps because PMB is straight as IBB was skewed!  Besides, why would honest PMB allow dissemblers to goad him to perdition?

    Still, if the old fox who, in his own words, is perched at the “departure lounge” acted in blind panic, why should Nigerian youths, just gaining the arrival lounge, act in blind ire?   Why are they, as hyper-educated as they are, happy pawns in elders’ proxy wars, when they ought to have voted in own future interests?  

    Take Obi, the Obedients’ — read, the youths’ — adopted candidate.  Perhaps the only thing you can “verify” about Obi is his Igbo nativity.  Aside from his unity with Obasanjo in holy hypocrisy, all else — youth champion, religious crusader and ethnic messiah — is election-season fakery to game votes.

    Now, you can’t crucify Obi for vacuum-cleaning the Ndigbo vote.  Tinubu garnered the Yoruba vote, as Atiku and Kwankwaso gulped northern votes.  

    But you must worry at the clannishness of Obi’s Igbo votes.  The Igbo should worry, even more: rabid tribal voting hardly builds pan-Nigeria bridges for a future Igbo president.

    Besides, the Anambra Saint that mortgaged state money for family business without blinking, could become an Abuja Pope that sinks the national trove into clannish trade — with his Igbo and Christian footstool to power bearing collateral blame and guilt!

    These are serious character flaws these youths should have pondered, if really they craved a new order.  Besides, weaponizing faith for votes — as Obi did — ought to have triggered an alarm, if these youths know their country’s history and truly cherish their future.

    But alas!  Emotive youths craved a willy-nilly messiah, open sesame! It always ends in grief, as the election results have shown — never mind Obi’s comic self-delusion that he “won”.  Why, Obi even wept over an election he manifestly lost!

    Still pray, when has mono-ethnic voting ever gifted anyone the Nigerian Presidency?

    How this brainless roar is playing out in cosmopolitan Lagos is well and truly eerie — with neo-Okonkwo (remember the Achebe tragic hero of Things Fall Apart?) Igbo youths, even more hare-brained and tactless than the original, bawling “take Lagos!” — whatever that means — and the riled Yoruba primed for a no-retreat-no-surrender on March 18!  Yet, all these youths are just pawns!

    One of the “youths” wanting to “take Lagos!” is a dangerous cultural schizophrenic, pumped full of bile.  He rails against up-country Yoruba gains in cosmopolitan Lagos.  But he goads the Igbo — for subversive vote — they could get an inordinate share! 

    The other, from reportage on his private life, has nothing close to a settled life, though a crowing adult.  But he must “take over” Lagos because he’s a youth!  What comics!

    After the election is won and lost, second-term Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu would be left to manage the mess and mend the reckless cross-ethnic fissure.  

    Perhaps in fours years, if the Tinubu Presidency hits its full promise, these youths would look back and realize how closely they brought Lagos to peril; and how, even more, they had imperilled their future.  

    They went after the wrong enemy: Tinubu and his successors, who built — and are still building — Lagos, to secure these youths’ future.

  • The house Emefiele built

    The house Emefiele built

    More than 10 days since the highest judiciary in the land ruled President Muhammadu Buhari administration to be out of order on its demonetisation policy, the situation in the country is best described as being in ‘suspended animation’ mode. It is, as one internet dictionary puts it, a situation of temporary cessation of most vital functions of the body – minus death. Even for an administration that is only too notorious for its snail speed; one that has become irritatingly desensitised to the feelings of the ordinary citizen, that it would require the whole of 10 days to study and give effect to that simple, straight-forward judgment, is hard to imagine.

    And so the waiting game continues. More than that; things may have merely turned full cycle.

    Yours truly actually read somewhere that the number one officer of the federal government, Abubakar Malami, SAN,  that the office would not be compelled to make a public statement on the matter as monetary policy matters are outside of its remit as he is a mere law officer! And that was an officer, whose office was specifically cited among the respondents to the suit challenging the demonetisation policy!

    And you say his principal – President Muhammadu Buhari, has been magisterially mute? Why not? Only the undiscerning would fail to observe the elegantly woven schema – a case of things merely falling into their proper places!

    Remember, the president was forced to address the country on February 16 on the naira redesign. The sum total of the address, which came after the Supreme Court had put the policy on abeyance, was to tell the apex court to back off!

    Between the president’s word – interpreted by Malami and company – as the last on the matter and on which no further contention was permitted; and the Supreme Court judgement – which the constitution duly pronounces as the final word on any matter, Nigerians surely know where the pendulum would inevitably swing. Indeed, between the rule of our ‘constitutional monarch’, and his unelected minion in charge of the general purse on the one hand, and the rule of law on the other, Nigerians have by now the understanding of where real power resides and that anything contrary to that received wisdom is merely academic!

    We can only watch and pray that reason prevails in the end while hoping also that the costs would still be within tolerable while the game of hide and seek lasts!

    That takes us to the other principal agency in the orchestrated confusion that has thrown the economy into the needless spasm, the trauma of which threatens to erode the very fabric of trust underpinning the financial eco-system.

    From the initial hubris drenched in activism, we have seen the CBN stumble and fumble to the point that it is now practically on AWOL as the military is wont to say, when it matters most.  From yielding the space to shadow players, we have seen its officials swing from the reactionary mode, issuing rebuttals to news it routinely calls ‘fake’ even when no ‘originals’ exist, to spewing all manners of rubbish to confuse the exasperated, bewildered citizenry.

    As anyone might imagine, the focus is increasingly now on the lone individual responsible for putting the financial services sector in its most expansive mode in recent memory. No prize for guessing: Godwin Emefiele, the man under whose watch the traditional monetary policy instruments suffered the most egregious abuses imaginable; the aberrant fellow who not only threw the traditional monetary restraints into the bin but did everything to corrupt both the office and the institution!

    And what has the individual said or is saying in all of these? Nothing; in fact, he’s been practically in hiding! Not exactly though! Thanks to this newspaper expose yesterday, Nigerians are only now learning that more surprises are still in the bag as our Man Friday sets out on an inexplicable mission to wreak vengeance on a people that dared to call him out in that moment of utterly reckless, unprecedented, political brigandage!

    For now, it is taken that the number one banker’s job has been practically outsourced! Isa Abdulmumin, the apex bank’s acting director of Corporate Communications, can take on all the daemons of fake news and rumours for all the cares in the world, there is, apparently, a limit to how far he can go. And so enters, Anambra State governor, Chukwuma Soludo, a man who has earned his stripes as a doughty fighter in the terrain. He would better fit for the two roles since we are already in an informal emergency! 

    And so it was he that reminded Nigerians that the man is still in office as the governor of the apex bank. Also, we have his word that a Bankers’ Committee meeting not only held on Sunday, March 12, but that the banks, most of which are still in trauma, could return to business after the Emefiele-induced paralysis.

    For an unpaid the apex bank spokesman, he would even make a supplementary announcement that:  “Tellers at the commercial banks are to generate the codes for deposits and there is no limit to the number of times an individual or company can make deposits” even as he assured Nigerians that the old notes would remain legal tenders.

    Like everything in these parts, it will soon be a return to business – as usual. Never mind that the new naira notes are still nowhere to be found; or that the copious assurances of imminent stabilisation have remained a mirage. The job of cnearly four months afteral hinking of thence these could always be covered tary ket somewhere in ancial eco-systemettisation feounting the costs will come later.

    In the meantime, think of the thousands of businesses – micro, small and medium entities – destroyed as a result of the cash crunch. Or the millions of jobs wiped off. I saw a picture at the weekend of several thousands of bunches of plantain dumped in a market somewhere in Lagos but which had gone bad as a result of lack of patronage. That was some people’s investment wiped off. That was the house that Godwin Emefiele aka Meffy built!

    And now, think of the next wave of bazaar to be spearheaded by Emefiele’s development-minded CBN a la intervention! That is their monetarism. That is the way the Emefiele’s CBN works.

    Did we not see all of these coming? You bet we did!

    Here’s what the World Bank said of Emefiele’s naira redesign at the onset: “While periodic currency redesigns are normal internationally and the naira does appear to be due for it… the timing of and short transition period for this demonetization may have negative impacts on economic activity, in particular for the poorest households.

    “International experience suggests that rapid demonetizations can generate significant short-term costs, with small-scale businesses, and poor and vulnerable households, potentially being particularly affected due to being liquidity-constrained and heavily reliant on day-to-day cash transactions”.

    That was the World Bank said. But who cares?

  • Open letter to the President-elect

    Open letter to the President-elect

    SIR: Nigerians voted for you because of your message to renew the hope of the country. It is crystal clear that every Nigerian wants hope: hope for better life and prosperity. Just a few days ago, I saw you on live TV when INEC issued you the certificate of return as the president-elect. I saw that you’re delighted to begin the renewal journey in the next few weeks as promised during your campaign period. As you had assured Nigerians of a better country, we would be happier if your wishes come true. 

    However, I want you to remember that Nigeria is a heterogeneous country battling crises of insecurity, kidnapping, extreme poverty among others. Since no one will expect you to tackle all the crises, Nigerians will hope that you dedicate your administration to genuine renewal work, at least to let Nigerians see and feel the difference, however little. Because I am not the person who thinks Nigeria’s woes can be tackled overnight, it is my hope that you bring to the table the expertise required to inspire hope.

    It is visible that the 2023 presidential election would go down in Nigeria’s history as the most heated contest. The election, unarguably, reflected the yearnings of people for good governance. Aside from the fact that people were very tired of the situation of the country, President Muhammadu Buhari hasn’t lived up to the expectations of many Nigerians as their massive support for your party, All Progressives Congress (APC), showed in 2015. But it is strongly hoped that you would be better than him.

    I am very sure you are aware of the loopholes of this incumbent government which I believe should be your target. Addressing loopholes is not tantamount to fighting the past; rather, it means you should learn from the past administration, which, of course, you’re part of, to address the crises now for a better Nigeria. It’s not too much to say that you have a lot to do to convince huge swaths of the youth who have shown dissatisfaction with the performance of your party in the past eight years.

    I want to plead for one thing on behalf of Nigerians and that is, you should do everything within your capacity to end the insecurity that’s ravaging our country. The hydra-headed menace has undermined the propensity of our beloved country for progress. No country, in other words, develops in chaos. That is why you should, as the first step to renew the hope of a country long trapped in hopelessness, pay attention to the security situation.

    I don’t want to dwell on countless promises contained in your manifesto. It’s unfortunate that Nigerians have been deceived by politicians’ beautiful promises on paper. But, candidly, this is not the time to play politics as usual. I will strongly advise you to serve Nigerians in ways they can feel the presence of good governance. Most importantly, you should be particular about how to rejig the country’s education system on which the future of the country depends. This goes down to how prudently you manage the country’s resources at your disposal in the interest of development.

    On a final note, this victory has come to stay with you for another four years. The onus is on you to serve, not rule, Nigerians. You should show compassion for the vulnerable. You should be different from those rulers who see the plight of the masses as nothing. Under your watch, we want Nigeria to be a country governed by the rule of law. Much as I am aware that a better Nigeria can only be possible through collective efforts, I charge you to be the servant of the people. May your tenure be a blessing for Nigeria.

    • Babatunde Qodir, babatundelaitan@gmail.com

  • Transforming building sector

    Transforming building sector

    Moved to upgrade the building sector, a firm, Atlantic Exhibition, is to hold an exhibition.

    Tagged the BUILDMACEX Exhibition, it will hold from March 21 to 23  at the Eko Hotel Convention Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos.

    The exhibition organiser, Mr. Ayodeji Olugbade, stated this, according to a statement by the Media Consultant, Mr. Olalekan Otun.

    According to Olugbade, “5,000 participants, 200 exhibitors, 15 countries, 20 speakers and 10 sponsors have confirmed to attend the three-day eighth edition of BUILDMACEX 2023 “

    Olugbade said: “BUILDMACEX is an international exhibition and conference focused on transforming the building, construction, and machinery industry in Nigeria and other part of West Africa countries.”

    He said the Business-to-Business (B2B) event is aimed at driving and supporting changes in architectural design, building construction, and machinery, through the use of modern technologies in the industry.

    Olugbade added: “There are masterclasses sessions focused on fire safety and protection session, building interior innovation, bim and digital construction session, supply chain and logistics session , financing session, real estate revolution session and building,  construction and machine innovation session.

    “Buildmacex exhibition would showcase technological innovation in the building industry and meeting with key distributors from different countries in West Africa.”

    “Key players in the building, construction, and machinery industry are attending the BUILDMACEX 2023, West Africa’s largest expo on building,  construction, and machinery industry, to learn new skills to push their businesses, deepen market penetration, reinforce brand building to reach  their target audience, interconnect industry skilled and unskilled professionals, buyers and visitors from the West Africa region.”

  • Dana aircraft scales post- maintenance certification

    Dana aircraft scales post- maintenance certification

    Dana Air has taken delivery of some of its aircraft which underwent   major  maintenance checks at an offshore facility.

    The airline said is it complying with safety standards and  regulatory requirements by subjecting the aircraft  to post maintenance documentation and certification before it is released into scheduled flights.

    At the weekend, its Corporate Communication Manager, Mr Kingsley Ezenwa, said the carrier will also be unveiling a flash sale package for passengers who plan their trips by booking ahead.

    Ezenwa said :”  We would introduce additional flights as soon as we receive more of our aircraft from maintenance.”

    He said the carrier is working hard to activate its fleet modernisation and expansion programme as it looks forward to acquiring more airplanes to boost its operations on its daily rotations into and out of  Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Owerri and Enugu.

    Ezenwa said the airline will continue to deepen its safety management procedures by deepening its internal airworthiness efforts as well as complying with the requisite standards prescribed by international and local regulatory authorities, including the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).

  • Stepping up air safety standards

    Stepping up air safety standards

    The reduction in the number of air accidents and fatality risks in the last five years is pointing to many directions, one of which is stricter enforcement of airworthiness rules by Nigerian and other players in the global travel space. Avoiding air crashes requires that airlines deepen their safety management systems, step up oversight duties, push for crew training in the rapidly emerging avionic technology space amid other interventions, writes KELVIN OSA- OKUNBOR.

    The push by global players to step up safety measures for airlines, regulators, air navigation service providers, ground handling, aviation fuel supply firms and others i is beginning to yield results.

    Air crashes are fast becoming a rarity in the global travel space. Across the spectrum, airlines and regulatory bodies as well as air accident investigative agencies are collaborating to  ramp up safety measures.

    A safety report released by the global airlines’  trade association – the International Air Transport Association (IATA) showed a reduction in the number of fatal  air accidents.

    According to IATA, in the last five years, the number of fatalities has dropped drastically.

    The worldwide commercial jet fleet experienced 23 accidents in 2021, including one fatal crash that killed its 62 passengers and crew, according to new Boeing data.

    In comparison, 17 accidents, including three fatal accidents with 122 fatalities, were recorded in 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Experts say interventions by the global airlines’ trade association has assisted to drive safety and enhance efficiency for carriers.

    One of the avenues IATA has  put in place to make member airlines achieve this, is through its Operational Safety Audit (IOSA), which its members particularly, those operating international routes must adhere to.

    The IATA, which represents some 300 airlines comprising 83 per cent of global air traffic.

    In the IATA  2022 Safety Report,  there were five fatal accidents involving loss of lives.

    This came down from seven in 2021 and an improvement on the five-year average -2018-2022 –  which was also seven.

    The fatal accident rate improved to 0.16 per million sectors for last year, from 0.27 per million sectors in 2021, and also was ahead of the five-year fatal accident rate of 0.20, the global body said.

    The accident rate was 1.21 per million sectors, a reduction compared to the rate of 1.26 accidents for 2018-2022, but an increase compared to 1.13 accidents per million sectors in 2021. The fatality risk declined to 0.11 from 0.23 in 2021 and 0.13 for 2018-2022.

    Last yera, the IATA member airlines experienced one fatal accident , with 19 fatalities.

    “Accidents are rare in aviation. There were five fatal accidents on 32.2 million flights in 2022. That tells us that flying is among the safest activities in which a person can engage. But even though the risk of flying is exceptionally low, it is not risk-free.

    “An analysis of the trends that are emerging even at these very high levels of safety is what will make flying even safer.

    “This year’s report, for example, tells us that we need to make some special efforts on turboprop operations in Africa and Latin America. Safety is aviation’s highest priority, and our goal is to have every flight take off and land safely regardless of region or aircraft type,” IATA Director-General Willie Walsh said.

    The industry’s 2022 fatality risk of 0.11 means that on average, a person would need to take a flight daily for 25,214 years to experience a 100 per cent fatal accident. This is an improvement over the five-year fatality rate, an average of 22,116 years.

    Despite the reduction in the number of fatal accidents, the number of fatalities rose from 121 in 2021 to 158 last year.  Last year, the majority of fatalities occurred in a single aircraft accident in China that claimed 132 lives.

    The airline involved was not an IATA member, but is on the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) registry.

    The next largest loss of life occurred in an accident to an IATA member in Tanzania that resulted in 19 fatalities.

    Nigeria in the last few years, has not experienced any air disaster.

    Director-General, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Captain Musa Nuhu said the authority has stepped up its duties.

    Besides, he said the regime regime has been tightened as NCAA  airworthiness inspectors are close-marking airlines to ensure they comply with safety standards and procedures.

    The NCAA, he said has also recruited experienced airworthiness personnel, who are sent to the best offshore locations to  leverage their oversight on airlines.

    Meanwhile, the NCAA ,  has called for stakeholders’ reviews, contributions and comments on the new Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations (NCARs) before its implementation.

    A circular sent to stakeholders with the reference number: NCAA/RC/005/2023, dated February 12, 2023, signed by Capt. Nuhu  indicated that the regulator gave the stakeholders till March 21, this year for their contributions and reviews, which are to be sent to a committee.

    Nuhu in the circular said the regulator set up a committee to attend to the recommendations and contributions of stakeholders in the industry.

    According to him, the committee was set up in accordance with Part 1.7 of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations 2015.

    He said the review and eventual implementation would bring the regulations in compliance with Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) as contained in the latest amendment of the Annexes to the convention on the International Civil Aviation signed in Chicago in 1944 and include some pertinent national issues.

    The circular read in part: “All comments and responses received by the Regulations Committee Rule making Working Group 2022 in accordance with Section 3.7 of the NCAA Approved Rule making Process Policy and Procedures Manual (RPPPM).

    “Kindly note that proposals shall be submitted not later than March 21, 2023.”

    The circular stated that the proposals could be submitted through emails, hand delivery or courier to the DGCA through the chairman of the regulation committee.

  • Train-bus accident: Mainstreaming safety in transportation

    Train-bus accident: Mainstreaming safety in transportation

    Experts are back to the drawing board on how to prevent crashes such as the type that shook Lagos State to its foundation last week. ADEYINKA ADERIBIGBE reports

    Though the Lagos State Government has assured that it would leave no stone unturned to get to the root of the accident that shook the state to its roots in the early hours of last Thursday, when an Ijoko-Iddo Mass Transit Train Service crashed into a bus load of government workers at a level crossing at PWD area of Shogunle. The incident has, again, presented an opportunity to rework issues of safety on all transportation modes, especially the road.

    Many Nigerians, especially transportation and logistics stakeholders, would, for instance, like to know why the driver of the bus (who is said to be in police custody), who obviously is not a first-time user of the road, would chose to drive across a level crossing in disregard to the danger of an approaching train that was blaring its horn.

    The driver, who was said to be undergoing series of assessments, including psychiatric tests, had the temerity to say the vehicle had developed a fault, which prevented him from speeding to safety at the level crossing, thereby leading to the accident, which led no fewer than six workers to their graves and 79 others with various injuries.

    His excuse flies in the face of accusations by workers that the driver refused  entreaties to wait and allow the train to pass before continuing their journey, only for him to drive across the level crossing, leading to the crash.

    The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) said elaborate level control management procedures such as deploying mechanism  and level crossing staff who work at level crossings across the country were in place to prevent accidents.

    In a statement by the Deputy Director Public Affairs Yakub Mamood, urged motorists and road users to strictly “observe caution signs and instructions from officials when approaching level crossing and completely stop their vehicles when directed to do so by level crossing keeper and officials to ensure seamless movement of trains and safe crossing of motorists and pedestrians.”

    He added that the railway has the right of way in any city that has the benefit of train services, hence railway track must be kept free from walking and trading.

    According to him, all level crossings are manned 24-hour, and advised drivers and pedestrians to comply strictly with instructions given by NRC staff members at level crossing.

    Not strange phenomenon

    Statistics from United Kingdom and the United States showed that 95 percent of rail accidents occur at level crossing.

    What is a level crossing? Simply put, a level crossing is the intersection between the road and the rail corridor. At such intersections, vehicles using the road are expected to wait while the train finally evacuates from the road and failure to do so often results in crashes.

    According to Datablog, 13 people died last year and 145 motorists (almost three motorists per week, narrowly avoided potentially fatal collisions with a train. Quoting RSSB, Datablog said, over 3,200 incidents of misuse of level crossing was recorded in the UK, last year.

    In a data taken between 2008 and 2009, while recorded incidents of misuse of level crossing was 3495 in 2008, it dropped to 3244, in 2009. While collision between vehicle and train  was 19 in 2008, it dropped to 14 the following year.

    The UK Office of Rail and Road (ORR) in a release dated September 29, 2020 indicated that there were 12 passenger fatalities in 2019-20, a decrease from 17 in 2018-19. Seven occurred on the mainline while five occurred on London Underground.

    Though train accident, especially at level crossing wasn’t an entirely strange, what makes the latest accident in Lagos topical is that it is one with the highest causality figure in recent history in Nigeria.

    Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, however, believed the accident is completely avoidable. He assured Nigerians that the incident would be investigated and the driver brought to book if found culpable.

    Among others, he declared three of morning, suspended all official engagements for three days and ordered flags to be flown at half-mast in honour of the victims of the accident. 

    Safety specialist Patrick Adenusi agreed level crossing accidents is not peculiar to Nigeria, but he believed “it is worse here because according to him, government officials at all levels are the worst traffic offenders available anywhere”.

    For him, while running on Red is a grievous offence anywhere, it is seen as the norm in Nigeria and government officials are the worst offenders who break traffic law with impunity.

    He said level crossing accidents accounts for over 90 per  cent accidents in Europe, but it is gradually reducing in the last few years in the United Kingdom and United States in recent times.

    Adenusi, Executive Director of Safety Without Borders (SWB), said: “It is not an offence here to find the police and other arms of the security forces driving against traffic which is seen as a way out of traffic jams that is prevalent in most parts of the state.

    Lawlessness is part of our daily lives in Nigeria, not only in Lagos. It is bad that we still have human beings as flaggers at our level crossings but when drivers don’t obey human beings how will they obey lights and other signs.

    Accidents, according to Adenusi, presents an opportunity for the government and stakeholders to strategise on how to better make the roads safe.

    He wondered how the driver would obey simple rules when he has been conditioned to believe that you can break the law at will with no consequence.

    Besides, “the government need to do more in the installations of signages on our roads and ensure that users know how to interpret them. On most of our roads there are no signages, no speed limit signs, nothing. We are used to shoddiness.”

    He said the government must ensure that commercial drivers go through more rigours to acquire and to hold drivers licence. He wondered how many of Nigerian drivers could pass drivers tests in the UK or the US with the manner many drive on the road. “It is very clear that the process of recruiting drivers in this country is skewed and needed to be streamlined to ensure that only those who are qualified are put in care of vehicles that plies the road.

    “Nine out of 10 times, accidents are avoidable only if drivers know what to do when they are behind the wheels.”

    Adenusi argued that driving is safer when there is communication between the road and the driver. Sadly, most Nigerian roads are dumb and communicate nothing to the driver. Most times, the driver need to interpret what to do on the road, unfortunately the government is doing nothing.

    “One thing this accident has brought to the fore is that every driver on Lagos roads need to go through some training and retraining for recertification. At regular intervals drivers must undergo training just to keep them abreast of the trends.

    Former Commissioner for transportation Dr Kayode Opeifa said a detailed investigation is necessary to interrogate why a driver who is not a first user of the road could be so reckless and put over 80 passengers in harm’s way.

    Opeifa, the Executive Director of Sustainable Mobility and Access Development (CenSMAD) agreed that the accident is a wakeup call for the government to do a safety audit of all modes of transportation and do everything possible to make transportation safe for all.

    Opeifa commended the government for ceding to stakeholders demand for a central safety investigation body for all transport modes, adding that this accident which is the first since the transformation of the Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) to the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB), would be a test case for the efforts to make all modes of transportation safe for all classes of users. He said the NSIB should do a safety audit and recommend what is to be done to make all roads, especially the level crossing safe not only in Lagos, but across the country.

    He said the Lagos State government way back in 2017 came up with the Drivers Institute initiative which mad it mandatory for all road users go for recertification at least once a year and that over the years, the Institute’s recertification has become acceptable minimum to be on the roads in the state.

    Opeifa, recalled that the Chartered Institute of Transport Administration (CIOTA) at a National Transportation Summit called for far reaching reforms aimed at ensuring the safety of all modes of transportation, added that safety remained a major factor in air transport sector, adding that such needed to be introduced on other modes of transportation.

    He wondered why drivers who are responsible for the lives and destinies of several people other than theirs, are recruited without any certification by any regulating authority, a development which he said could constitute danger to road users.

    He said safety is everyone’s business and should not be left in the hands of the government. He said it is condemnable that government drivers who ought to be examples to others are becoming bad examples for others.

    He said since 2007, all rail fixed stock designs are designed not to have level crossing adding that Ijoko-Iddo has about 10 level crossing which is all being worked upon to be replaced by either an overpass or an underpass, adding that that particular corridor, the state government is expected to complement the Federal Government with the construction of overpasses.

    Opeifa said by the time the Red Line light rail construction on that corridor is over, all the level crossing would be addressed.

    He said the drivers institute initiative of the state government need to be nationalized, and urged the Federal Roads Safety Corps to champion the cause of ensuring that all professional drivers have the requisite certification like all professionals to be on the road as professional drivers.

    A United State Rail consultant who preferred to be called Adeife while commiserating with the government urged that overpasses must urgently be constructed at all level crossings especially in Lagos which is almost actualising its dreams of activating train shuttles especially along the corridor.

  • FAO, ITC to empower women, others

    FAO, ITC to empower women, others

    THE Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) and International Trade Centre (ITC) are empowering women to explore the huge cash in exports.

     Under its SheTrades Initiative, ITC launched the second phase of its programme: “Empowering women and boosting livelihoods through agricultural trade: Leveraging the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).”

    Spanning four countries – Ghana, Malawi, Nigeria and South Africa –, the programme was developed in 2021 to promote women’s participation in the AfCFTA and increase their access to capacity building and higher-productivity activities, capitalising on the new opportunities in regional trade created by the AfCFTA agreement.

    As the programme transitions into its second phase, two new countries will be targeted – Senegal and the United Republic of Tanzania – while a component on women’s access to finance will be piloted in Ghana and Nigeria.

    “We are excited to see the programme’s growth and how it is reaching out to more women’s organisations and decision-makers in different countries and at different levels. The programme is a great demonstration of our technical efforts to support inclusive agribusiness development in collaboration with regional partners and the AfCFTA Secretariat,” said the Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Africa, FAO, Abebe Haile-Gabriel.

    “The AfCFTA has the potential to transform African economies and the livelihoods of millions of people – if it is accessible to everyone.To deliver on its promise, the voices of women, particularly those in the agrifood sector, must be reflected in every step of implementation.’’

     Now in its second phase, the programme is designed to deliver on this transformational agenda by harnessing the expertise of FAO and ITC,” said Executive Director, ITC, Pamela Coke-Hamilton. 

    Throughout its first phase, the programme focused on mapping and analysing priority regional value chains, developing and disseminating policy recommendations and building the capacity of formal and informal women producers, processors, entrepreneurs and traders. Attending three in-person trainings, 160 women from the agrifood sector in Malawi, Ghana and Nigeria gained valuable skills on tools and resources for simpler trade under the AfCFTA, rights of traders when using border posts, gender-based violence, harassment and corruption in cross-border trade.